


see no evil, hear no evil

by cazei



Series: mcu by cazei [6]
Category: Marvel Cinematic Universe, Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017)
Genre: Child Abuse, Deaf Character, Deaf Clint Barton, Deaf Peter Parker, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Hurt/Comfort, Ned Leeds is a Good Bro, Peter Parker Needs a Hug, Precious Peter Parker, Tony Stark Has A Heart, the abuse is just mary and richard being abelist but i tagged anyways
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-28
Updated: 2018-09-27
Packaged: 2019-04-28 21:03:34
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,584
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14457699
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cazei/pseuds/cazei
Summary: Peter Parker was always against the odds, even from day one.It’s the next day when doctors are rushing to give little Peter antivirals and treat the infection that they did not catch, but it is too late.--deaf peter au, starting from birth to the end of spiderman: homecomingthere are no spoilers from infinity war, as this is an au that stops before that time line





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> look this was supposed to be a cute deaf!peter fic that was soft and happy and a good distractor from infinity war
> 
> i dont know what happened 
> 
> \--
> 
> 4 the record may and richard are just awful bc i wanted peter to get hearing aids bc plot (most deaf children are raised Deaf, or culturally Deaf, but when it is treated as a disability its deaf, lowercase. as they are hearing themselves, i figured this would make the most sense. they’re assholes in this.

Peter Parker is born on August 27. He is six and a half pounds, and nineteen inches long. He’s on the smaller size, yeah, but he’s a smiling, drooling, happy baby. 

 

Richard and Mary Parker are fast asleep that night, and Peter is in the nursery with the rest of the infants. 

 

He has Cytomegalovirus. It’s a big word for such a small child. CMV: a virus. Most with it have no symptoms, such as a pregnant woman. Such as Mary Parker. 

 

One in five babies will develop symptoms. 

 

Peter Parker was always against the odds, even from day one. 

 

It’s the next day when doctors are rushing to give little Peter antivirals and treat the infection that they did not catch, but it is too late. 

 

The two parents hold their infant in their arms as their doctor talks slowly. Peter seems quieter, more docile. This is not comforting. 

 

“I’m sorry,” the doctor says. “We didn’t catch the CMV until it was too late… We think your son has major or complete hearing loss in both ears. The antivirals should prevent any other symptoms… but, we can’t say for sure if this will be permanent.”

 

The two scientists stomachs drop; they do not understand. They don’t know how they can. 

 

* * *

 

 

Peter is six. He has a missing front tooth and a smile that could rival the sun. He has a cochlear implant that he was given as soon as medically possible, but whenever he goes over to his Auntie May’s, she teaches him ASL and other things that his mom and dad don’t like in the house. 

 

“Use your words, Peter,” Mary sighed at the dinner table one night. “No one understands you.”

 

May, however, responds to his request with a flick of her wrist and nod of her head. He ignores the sting from his parents, just for a little longer. 

 

A month later, they are gone. 

 

* * *

 

Peter is fourteen and two months, and a Freshman, when he gets a scholarship to go to Midtown Science and Technology High School. May and Ben are always proud of him, always on his side. They are the proud parents he never had a chance to have. 

 

He is fourteen, and he is going to a private school across Queens, and he knows no one.

 

‘I’m scared’, Peter signs as the subway pulls up the station. 

 

May smiles warmly and rubs his back. ‘You’re going to be great!’. 

People stare at them, and he belatedly wants to turn his cochlear implant on to avoid the looks. But May always wanted him to be proud of his Deafness, and not ashamed of it. She never wants him to be ashamed of himself. 

 

Even though he has the implant, when he has it on, the sound is jarring. It’s metallic and fake, and he has to focus to even hear sounds, and even then, the pitch is always off. So, he turns it off a lot. It’s not like he can undo the surgery his parents got him. 

 

(They’ve tried. He got it too young, though. It would’ve caused much more damage. They tried, so, so hard.) 

 

* * *

 

Peter is fourteen and eight months, and he has a new best friend. His first best friend. 

 

Ned is in the same boat as he is. He is an outcast, alienated because he refused to bully and ridicule the new Algebra teacher like the rest of the jocks. 

 

Peter still can’t process the fact that even at a renowned private academic school, they still have the angsty jock clique. 

 

However, as Peter’s implant is  _ in  _ his head… Ned doesn't know he’s Deaf. His teachers discuss it with him privately, but as May and Ben cannot afford a translator, and Peter has the rich equivalent of hearing aids, they don’t think it’s necessary. 

 

As if lipreading isn’t the hardest thing he’s ever had to learn, and half the time he’s too busy stuttering over his own voice to try to decode someone else's. 

 

Ned may be a good friend (a  _ great  _ friend) but after all middle school taught him… No one wants a friend who will never truly know what their voice sounds like without a machine telling them so. 

 

Then, naturally, all good things come to an end.

 

* * *

 

Peter is fourteen years, eight months, and two weeks when Flash Thompson pushes him down the steps of the school for defending another freshmen from Flash’s band of goons. 

 

In consequence, his collar bone breaks in two, and he immediately passes out.  

 

When he wakes up, he is lying in a hospital bed, and May, Ben, and Ned sit in the firm armchairs at the other end of the room. He tries to sit up, to get their attention, but the pain ripples from his neck to his arm, and he cries out. 

 

At least it gets their attention. 

 

“Peter!” Someone calls. He thinks. His implant is switched off. 

 

He blinks, and the world does to. When his dark eyes open again, Ned is frowning. 

 

_ ‘You didn’t tell Ned you were Deaf?’ _ May signs. 

 

Peter responds,  _ ‘no… does he know?’ _

 

May is not impressed, and Ben jumps in.  _ ‘You know you can’t get M-R-Is with your implant. It’s a good thing your teacher called, or they might’ve demagnetize the aid.’ _

 

Peter shrugs, and May looks furious.  _ ‘Are you that ashamed? That you won’t even tell your best friend? That you’d rather get hurt, or worse?’ _

 

He doesn’t respond. 

 

Ned must’ve said something, but Peter was avoiding his eyes, so he didn’t catch it; May looked to him though. She just nods slowly, and then signs to Peter,  _ ‘he just wants to know if you are okay’ _ . 

 

Peter looks at Ned, and does the Vulcan handshape. The worry melts off his friends face, and he sees Ned’s lips crinkle in a smile. He signs it back to Peter. 

 

* * *

 

A year later, Peter is a Sophomore. His uncle is bleeding, and his implant is on, but he can’t hear anything. So much is happening, and there is red on his hands, and it’s all his fault. It’s all his fault. 

 

* * *

 

He can climb walls now. Peter can do flips, and when he makes web in Chemistry, he can fly. He got abs -- which, nice -- but his hearing is still nonexistent. He’s so angry -- angry that he is a monster, a freak, and his uncle is dead. 

 

He puts on a mask, and he lets people hear him. 

 

* * *

 

He is fifteen when Tony Stark shows up in his living room, and sends him to Germany. 

 

When he is alone, he turns off his cochlear. Usually, he has a couple hours a day of quiet. Usually, he isn’t getting hit on the head with a vibranium shield. The noise rings for hours. 

 

* * *

A cement building is dropped on his head, and something is wrong. He needs to pull himself out, he has too. Peter can’t do this. He can’t. He is fifteen and scared and alone, and he just tried to fight his sorta girlfriends dad who has giant metal wings -- he’s a kid.

 

His leg is crushed -- broken, at least -- and every time he breathes the dust shifts and he thinks he’s going to die. 

 

“Please,” Peter thinks to himself. He tries to use his strength, but even if he could, his leg is immobile. 

 

It’s thirty-four seconds of hyperventilating that he cannot hear until his phone rings. 

 

It’s shattered in the building, and the lights flash to let him know that someone is calling.

 

He stretches his fingers out, trying to grasp it. Even if he can reach it, if it’s May, he’s screwed. Even if he stayed awake, conscious long enough to talk, she would think he was insane 

 

Peter’s fingertips graze the screen, and he feels a vibration as the phone accepts the call. 

 

“This -- I need help!” Peter gasps. He doesn’t know what he sounds like. Probably afraid. “Please -- oh, god, I need… Help. I - ”

 

His gaps shift the rubble, and more pressure is on his leg. He screams, probably louder than  _ he still can’t hear anything _ . 

 

The next thing he knows, is more pain. So much pain, until the darkness under his eyes finally wins, and he passes out. 

 

\-------------

 

He wakes up for the second time in his life in a hospital bed with a concerned face looming over him. He wants to laugh at the parells -- except, then it was Ben and May and Ned and a broken collar bone, and now it’s Tony and Rhodes, and he still can’t breathe.

 

His heart rate must be going off the charts, because Tony’s lips are moving, shouting, and nurses flood the light room. 

 

The next thing he knows is darkness. 

 

* * *

 

“Cytomegalovirus,” Tony says to him when he wakes up. His implant is slightly functioning. “Found that out from your medical files, after a  _ lot  _ of digging.”

 

Peter stills, and curls into himself. He shrugs. 

 

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Tony says somberly. He sits at the edge of Peter’s bed, but he doesn’t look at Peter. 

 

Peter still can’t bring himself to speak. 

 

“You know I wouldn’t care right? Hell, I know ASL. And Clint is Deaf. It’s not like there's a anti-ADA Avengers stance,” Tony says. Peter frowns; Hawkeye is Deaf? 

 

_ That’s what the media doesn’t want you to know _ , is what MJ would say. 

 

“Pete,” Tony says. “Talk to me.”

 

Peter sighs; that he can hear. “When I was nine, the first thing live I got to watch on TV with a translator was one of your conventions. It was so weird, that someone as -- that someone like you would care enough to fund live closed captioning and an ASL translator behind you on the stage. It was the first time anyone of your status had done that.”

 

Tony frowns. “Your Aunt let you watch my Expos on Cable when you were nine? Oh, god, that was six years ago. I was even worse six years ago. Forget everything you saw, for my sanity and your innocence.”

 

Peter ignores him. “And I knew that you weren’t like every other hearing person. You cared enough to spend money so people like me, Deaf people, could enjoy your show… But I didn’t -- Mr. Stark, I didn't want you to think that I couldn’t do it,” He is speaking so quickly that Tony almost needs subtitles. “I already lost the suit,” Tony winces, “I couldn’t lose your respect, too.”

 

“You  _ thought _ \--” Tony starts. 

 

“I don’t know!” Peter interrupts loudly. Then, quieter, “I don’t know… I’ve never had anyone other than May actually accept me for who I am! My own mother refused to let me sign in the house, and she made me practice lipreading for hours on end. I was  _ four _ . I didn’t -- I didn’t want to risk it, to have you think of me as a child who needs help. I don’t! I’m just as capable as everyone else!”

 

Peter can feel tears in his eyes; he’s talking more to himself than to Tony.  

 

“I know, Kiddo,” Tony says. “I just -- There’s nothing you could do, Parker, that would make me lose the tremendous respect I have for you. If you want to sign, we can sign. If you want to pretend I don’t know, we can do that. I just want what’s best for you, Pete.” He rolls his eyes. “As shocking as that may seem, as you watched my pre-Iron Man days. That’s so embarrassing, shit! How do you have respect for  _ me  _ still?”

 

Peter manages a small smile. “Never said I did, Tony.”

 

There’s an affronted gasp followed by a snort and a childish giggle. 

 

* * *

 

“No fucking way,” Tony says. “I’m never playing cards with you again.”

 

Peter signs gracefully with one hand to Clint, who nods slightly. 

 

“Even now they cheat,” Wanda adds, laughing. 

 

Peter has the decency to look offended. Clint… Not so much. 


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> peter faces the elevators at stark tower.

His cochlear implant is different than other people’s. Well, it isn’t, and it is. 

 

Everyone reacts to them differently, and everyone can hear certain things differently. For example, he can talk and hear phones pretty well when they’re pressed against his ear. 

 

Most people, including Pete, can hear various sounds, such a doors slamming or engines running. Some can even understand speech without lipreading — Peter, not so much. Speech for him is still incredibly difficult, as he has to look at them, and pretty much will his implant to function properly. It’s fine. He’s not salty. 

 

He can still hear phones, though. Thank god for this, or fighting with Tony and the Avengers would be much harder, as the comm system is their only method of communication. He can also hear his own AI, Karen, fairly well when he has his mask on.

 

Other electronic noises? Not so much. 

 

For example: his current situation. He’s in a Stark Towers elevator for the first time by himself, but as soon as the doors to the lobby shut, he realizes he is incredibly lost. He even switches his implant on, which he hates (at this point, he only turns it on during class and during fights), but still nothing. There’s no noise, but more importantly, there’s no buttons on the elevator wall. 

 

He turns, but all the sides of the elevator are like this. And, what the fuck? When he pressed his fingers to the metallic wall, he can feel vibrations. As if there is noise, but, whoopdeedoo, he can’t fucking hear it  _ because he’s Deaf _ . Peter switches off his implant, and pulls out his phone. 

 

(Yes, in these hearing situations, he either Facetimes Ned or MJ, who will translate the speech to him. It works. Don’t judge.) 

 

Before he can even click on Ned’s contact (“ _ Asshole Who Can Hear #2 _ ”, MJ wanted to be #1), the elevator starts moving up. 

 

“What the fuck,” Peter says. He thinks, anyways. Even though muscle memory helps with talking, you truly never know. He could be saying “whaugh ta fuge” for all he knows. Or even “WHAT THE FUCK!”. Peter has no sense of volume control when his aid is off.

 

A vibration runs through the ground, and Peter hesitantly places a hand on the stainless steel. It’s a pattern, as if there is a voice. 

 

Peter switches the chat on his phone. 

 

\--

 

**New Chat:** **_Peter, Clint_ **

 

**Peter**

clint help 

 

**Clint**

Dear Peter,

What’s wrong???

Sincerely, Clint

 

**Peter**

i cant tell if thats a brooklyn nine nine reference or you genuinely dont know how to text 

 

**Clint**

…

Of course it’s a B99 reference. Get to the point.

 

**Peter**

right right ill get to the point

wtf is this elevator?

 

\--

 

The elevator dings, and it shudders to a stop. 

 

Peter looks up, but the doors don’t open. His phone LED flashes with a notification. 

 

\--

 

**Clint**

Oh, right. It’s voice activated. Tony made all the ones at the compound ADA, but the tower? Not so much. 

 

**Peter**

it just stopped?

wtf do i do?

 

**Clint**

Try saying your name?

 

\--

 

“Peter Parker,” Peter says. Or tries to say. He hasn’t bothered with the aid yet. The doors slide open. 

 

Peter steps out, looks at the familiar lobby, and goes back to his phone. 

 

\--

 

**Peter**

it worked wtf?

 

**Clint**

It must be a security feature. It’s what Nat does whenever she gets off; I never go in the Tower without her or someone else. 

 

**Peter**

ahh thanks dude

 

\--

 

Peter clicks the phone off and looks up at Tony Stark's personal floor. He sighs. 

 

Another day, another ADA non-compliant building. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again hi my tumblr is @cazei
> 
> hmu in the comments if you liked it/noticed anything/ have more ideas for dead peter

**Author's Note:**

> tumblr @cazei  
> yell at me abt our boy peter
> 
> edit:  THIS WAS SUCH A BAD WRITING STYLE WHY IS HALF PASSIVE AND HALF ACTIVE VOICE AHHH 
> 
>  
> 
> ALSO  
> \- i only know 2 people with a cochlear implant, and im hearing, so i googles a lot and made a few assumptions im sorry!  
> \- this is not even close to how asl is formatted or works. at all. but it wouldve been annoying to read half a thousand words of asl gloss.  
> \- i literally researched cmv for like. five minutes. there are gonna be mistakes.


End file.
